Ready For The Future
by QuickestSecret
Summary: Cleaved was not the end of the story. Earth and Mewni are now one. How will Star and Marco face this new world? Mina is also in this, but there isn't a Mina character tag.
1. Chapter 1

**I SAW THE SVTFOE FINALE AND I JUST-**

***violently sobs in a corner***

**Anyway, here's a oneshot. Lemme know if you want this to be a full aftermath series. **

**I do not own SvtFoE, otherwise it would have gone on much longer. Thank you, Daron Nefcy, for such a weird and wild ride.**

* * *

They thought they would be separated forever.

The multiverse—the wise, blessed multiverse—knew otherwise.

A boy from Earth, who had seen and done much more than any other kid his age could even dream of.

A girl from Mewni, who was once a princess, then a queen, now a normal teenager.

Both have happy tears in their eyes as they gaze at each other in awe and shock, their two worlds now one.

"Hey," says Marco Diaz, smiling.

Star Butterfly sniffs, blue eyes locked on his brown ones. "Hi."

They surge toward each other, wrapping each other in a hug while laughing wetly. "I-I don't believe it!" Star gasps out. "You're here! You're here, I'm here, _we're here_! H-How—" She pulls away, keeping her arms locked around Marco's neck. "How is this even possible?"

Marco shakes his head. "Star, I don't care about the _how_ or _why_ right now. Right now, I just want—" He cuts himself off, tears streaming down his face as he chuckles. "I don't even know what I want to do."

"I do," Star whispers, as she leans up and kisses him.

It's just like in the barn. Marco feels his head become light and dizzy, yet he doesn't sway. He only grips Star tighter and moves a hand to comb through her tangled hair. Even when it's knotted, it's still soft, like a golden cloud.

Star lets her fingers trace Marco's jawline and sighs. Kissing Tom had never been like this. Kissing Marco is much, _much_ better. Even when they had kissed way back in the photo booth—gosh, that seems like forever ago—she had liked the chaste kiss more than she, at the time, had wanted to admit.

_Well_, she thinks fuzzily to herself. _Now I can enjoy all the Marco kisses I want_.

"STAR!"

The two break apart and twist around as Moon rushes up to them, Ponyhead, Tom, Eclipsa and Globgor with Meteora following.

Moon catches her daughter up in a fierce hug. "Oh, Star! Tom said you had run after the portal, then there was the explosion, and—" She stops and looks around her, finally noticing the merge. "What—is that Earth? Marco?"

Marco waves. "Hi, Moon."  
"MARCO!"

Marco starts and turns to see everyone he's ever known from Earth running toward him, his parents and Mariposa leading the charge. He's nearly blown backward as his family engulfs him, yelling and sobbing. "You should've stayed on the gurney!" Angie scolds.

"Yes, we didn't know where you went until Janna woke up!" Raphael says, squeezing his son. "Then the sky went _boom_!" He glances up and sees Moon staring. "Oh, hello, Queen Moon!"

"It's, uh, it's just Moon, now," Moon says, as if in a daze. She shakes herself and focuses back on her daughter. "Honey, are you sure you're—"

"I'm more than fine, Mom," Star says, smiling reassuringly. She brushes away the last of her tears and steps away. Marco does the same and they join hands, fingers twining together familiarly. "I'm great."

Everyone stares at the two in stunned silence. Then—

"Oh, I knew it!" Eclipsa squeals. She jostles her husband excitedly, Meteora babbling. "I knew it, I knew it!"

At that, the dam broke. The air is filled with the sounds of joyful screaming, shouts of congratulations, and Starfan13 and Ponyhead screeching "_FINALLY_!"

"Wow," Marco says, a little overwhelmed. "I didn't know we had this many people rooting for us."

"Yeah," Star agrees. "Kind of makes me feel a little stupid, y'know? Like we were wasting time."

Marco squeezes her hand. "You, uh, wanna get out of here? And stop wasting more time?"

Star grins. "I thought you'd never ask, Diaz."

They quietly slip away from the chaos and into the woods.

The New World is hodgepodge of Mewni and Earth, brought together. The Monster Temple and the ruins of Butterfly Castle loom in the distance, covering most of Echo Creek with their shadows. The sky is a mix of purple, blue, and pink dotted with white stars. Mountains and forests, swamps and beaches, hills and wastelands all shift and merge into one another. Mewni cottages placed next to Earth condos, their owners chatting in confusion.

It's beautiful.

"So, only Earth and Mewni came together?" Marco asks, ducking under a tree branch.

Star nods thoughtfully, taking a seat on a boulder. "I think so. I haven't seen Kelly or Talon."

Marco sits next to her. "I'm sorry."

She hums, resting her head on his shoulder. "It's okay, I guess. Nothing we can really do about it." Star sighs. "But now we've got new problems. We've got to figure out the new geography, where everyone's going to live—" She gets up and starts to pace. "New government, new laws—well, that would've had to happen on Mewni, anyway—"

"Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Marco interrupts her, standing up. "Okay. I get it. There's a lot of work to do. But, uh, before all that—" He takes her hands in his. "I want to take you out on a date. A real one, not a just a kiss in a barn with pig goats staring at us from every angle." Marco smiles. "Star Butterfly, will you go out with me?"

Star smiles and nods, eyes watery once again. "I would love that."

* * *

She coughs, slowly sitting up. Her joints ache like an old woman's, even though she doesn't look the age. Brushing her purple hair away from her gaunt face, Mina Loveberry gazes around her, drinking in her surroundings.

Beside her, Manfred groans, quickly coming to. With will, Mina gets up and hobbles over to the disgraced manservant. Manfred shifts onto his back and opens his eyes a crack. "Miss Loveberry?"

"Do you see this, Manfred? Do you?" Mina leans back and looks up at the painted sky. "Those brats managed to bring the dimensions together!" She laughs to herself, wandering around the forest clearing. "I'm actually impressed! But now...now we've got work to do."

"M-Miss Loveberry?" Manfred asks again nervously. "Are you all right?"

Mina whirls around. "This is wrong! Earth and Mewni were never meant to be mixed! Queen Solaria—" Her voice cracks as she remembers how the ghost of her mistress had turned away from her in her time of need. "_Solaria _never would have wanted this."

"W-Well, Miss Loveberry, I don't see what we can do," Manfred says, finally getting to his feet. "Magic is gone. Your powers—"

Mina waved him off. "Are gone too, yada-yada-yah, I know." She smiles crazily, and Manfred feels a chill run through him. "But that doesn't mean we don't have...other options."


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, the people have spoken. AFTERMATH SERIES! :D**

**For those of you who love Boyf Riends, I've started a Boyf Riends sketchbook on Wattpad. You can comment suggestions for comics or sketches IN THE STORY—****not on my profile, please—and I will draw them out. My username is still QuickestSecret, so if you like, head on over!**

**As always, please enjoy and review!**

* * *

"Attention! Attention, everyone!" Star shouts. The sound of chattering abruptly stops, the last remnants echoing off the walls of the Echo Creek High School gymnasium.

It's the day after 'The Cleave', as everyone is calling it. Tom had volunteered yesterday to fly around—apparently, his demon powers still worked—along with Pony Head to find the extent of the merging. They're due back any minute. In the meantime, Star and Marco gathered everyone they could find for a meeting.

"Thank you," Star says, quieter. "Now, as we all know, Mewni and Earth have become one dimension. That means that we all have to work together to make a new world for ourselves." She points over to her right. "Buff Frog, Ludo and Dennis will be the Monster delegates." Buff Frog nods seriously as both Ludo and Dennis give thumbs-ups.

Next, Star points to her left, past Marco. "Mom. Eclipsa. Globgor. You three are the Mewman delegates." Globgor puffs out his chest slightly, proud to be finally accepted as a Mewman. Eclipsa pats his arm with the hand not holding Meteora as Moon smiles at her daughter. _She's grown up so much._

Star smiles back before returning to leader mode. "Marco, Janna and I will be the Human delegates." Janna shrugs impassively "M'kay."

Marco takes Star's hand and squeezes it reassuringly. Star squeezes back, then addresses the gym at large. "If you have any problems, go to your specific delegates. We will do our best to resolve your issues peacefully and equally, so that we can create a better world for all of us. Any questions?"

A female monster at the back raises her hand. "Are we creating a name for this world?"

Star opens her mouth, but hesitates. "I...didn't think about that."

"How about Earth-ni?" suggests a human girl. "You know, a mash-up of Earth and Mewni."

"Mm, I like Mearth better," says a dark-skinned Mewman. "Same thing, just the other way around."

"Nah, Earth-ni."

"No, Mearth!"

"_Earth-ni_!"

"_Mearth_!"

"Okay, let's just settle down," Star says nervously, but she's lost control of the crowd. The shouting escalates, louder and louder, until Marco lifts his fingers to his mouth and lets out a piercing whistle. Immediately, everyone shuts up. Even the echoing stops quicker than before.

Star lets out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Marco. Everyone, let's just put it to a vote. All in favor of Earth-ni?"

Hands go up. Star counts quickly. "Ohhhhh-kay, and all in favor of Mearth?"

After another round of counting, Star smiles. "The people have spoken. Ladies, gents, and everyone in between, welcome to your new home…_Earth-ni_!"

Everybody erupts into cheers. Marco glances at his girlfriend. "We won't let you down, Star."

Star looks at him, trust and respect in her eyes. "I know you won't."

"Guys?"

The two jump, twisting around. Tom and Pony Head are behind them, out of breath.

"We gotta talk," Tom says. "Uh, privately."

* * *

"A barrier over the town?" Marco repeats confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that there is a literal wall around the town, okay? That sky up there? It's not just a sky, it is a barrier to the rest of Earth, Earth Turd." Pony Head rolls her eyes. "Jeez-uh, try to keep up."

"It's Earth-ni, now, actually." Marco says.

"Fine, okay, Earth-ni Turd."

"You live here, too!"

"Both of you, enough!" Star says as she comes back from the gym doors. Everyone is cleared out, and it's just the four of them, now. "If there's a wall around Earth-ni, then are we stuck here?"

Tom shrugs helplessly. "Yes…and no. I'm not really sure what happened."

"That helps," Marco deadpans.

"I'm serious, dude! It was _weird_. One minute I was flying past the Welcome to Echo Creek sign, and the next minute—" Tom makes an explosion noise. "I crash-landed. My third eye was gone, and so were my horns and tail—"

"You have a tail?" Marco asked curiously.

"—my ears had shrunk, and my skin was different." Tom looks at Star nervously. "I think I turned human."

"_What_?!" Star turns to Pony Head. "Did you turn into an Earth horse?"

"Yeah, gurl!" Pony Head sniffs dramatically. "It was horrible, okay? First I'm my beautiful self, then I'm a huge, four-legged, disgustingly brown _beast_!" She shivers. "I couldn't even talk, I was just snorting and screaming, okay?!"

"The second we stepped back into town, though," Tom butts in, "we turned back to normal."

Marco looks at Star worriedly. "If you destroyed the magic, then how is this even possible?"

"I don't know," Star says. "Maybe the barrier is acting like a shield, keeping us safe from the outside. Cloaking us, making those who look unnatural on Earth a little more…Earth-like."

"Hold on. If _we_ can go _outside_," Tom says, "can't the _outside_ come _in_?"

The four glance at each other anxiously, unsure of this new development. Star is the first to break the silence. "How about we just worry about that if the time comes?" The others murmur their agreement and she nods, satisfied. "In the meantime, let's just try to get used to Earth-ni. Help everyone get settled."

"Sure thing."

"You got it, B-Fly!"

Tom and Pony Head leave the gym. Star slumps into a chair and covers her face with her hands, groaning loudly. "Just when I think I'm done with magic, it comes back and bites me in the butt." She peeks at Marco through her fingers. "Does magic believe in karma or something?"

Marco smiles fondly, taking a seat next to her. "I doubt it. But…maybe it has something to do with us?"

"What do you mean?" Star sits up, intrigued.

"Well, new world, new rules, right? We _literally_ brought together two dimensions. You can't expect nothing magical to come from that." Marco shrugs. "Maybe your mom or Eclipsa knows something. We can ask them tomorrow."

Star sighs and leans her cheek on his shoulder. "Maybe you're right," she says. Marco is just getting comfortable and places his chin on top of her head, but then Star sits up, eyes wide. "Wait, the funerals are tomorrow! We can't ask then!"

"Easy, we just ask them afterwards," Marco amends, rubbing his chin. "There's no rush."

Star nods again, her face flushing. "Yeah, I know. I'm just…" she blows out her cheeks. "REALLY stressed. I mean, yeah, this is what I was training for—to be a leader—but I thought I would just be ruling Mewni. Safe, dependable, Mewni. Not an _entirely new world_ full of people who are just as freaked as I am."

"Hey. Hey," Marco says, placing a hand reassuringly on her arm. "We're all here to help you, no matter what. You're not doing this alone." He smiles. "Want to go see if the Chinese place is still here? You can get some—" he waggles his eyebrows. "_Fortune cookies_."

Star lets out a little giggle, a sound that warms Marco's heart. "Yeah. Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

**Ugh, I know I know I know, I'm so fucking late. But I want this to be one of the stories I actually continue with. Sorry for the short bit.**

* * *

The day is pleasant, warm with a cool breeze every so often. Star and Marco, along with Moon, River, Eclipsa and Globgor, carrying Meteora, roam the hilltop. The seven had just had a makeshift funeral service, honoring Glossaryck and the MHC. Marco had held Star's hand through the speeches, knowing she wasn't just thinking of the dead, but of the friends she had sent back to their home dimensions. Kelly, Jorby, Talon…sure, Star was happy they were safe, but she can't imagine what her days will be like now, knowing she'll never see them again.

Once Moon and Eclipsa finish their speeches, the party dissolves, either to mourn alone or say a final goodbye. Star approaches Glossaryck's grave, stomach in knots and throat tight.

"Hi, Glossaryck," Star says, gazing softly down at the freshly turned dirt. "It's, uh, it's me. Star Butterfly. I hope it's okay we buried a cup of pudding, since, um. Since we didn't have you. To bury." She swallows, slightly unsure. "Um." Star pauses, takes a breath, and lets it out slowly. _Get yourself together, Star._

"I don't know if you can hear me. But I want to say thank you. You helped me understand a lot of my magic, even though I didn't completely understand you. Everything you said, everything you did, it was all to help me. I'm sorry if I lost sight of that at times." Star smiles warmly, her vision going a bit blurry.

"I'll miss you. I'll miss you so much." She digs in her pocket a moment before pulling out a plastic spoon. "This is for the buried pudding, in case you feel like a snack, wherever you are." Bending down, Star sticks the handle of the spoon in the dirt, fixing it straight before standing up herself. "Baloo balee, baloo balo. I let you go. I let you go."

And even if for a moment, the pit in her stomach lifts, and Star is content.

* * *

"So, uh…what up, H-poo?" Marco says awkwardly. The grave offers no response, seemingly staring him down, making each passing moment harder and heavier. Marco sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. "Okay, yeah, that was a bad start."

Marco lowers himself to the ground, sitting cross-legged in the grass. "Right, so I'm going to try and imagine that I'm actually talking to you. Maybe it'll make this easier." He did his best to remember what Hekapoo looked like. Thick red hair, obviously. Furry white arms, a large, flame-like dress. A bored expression, a hint of a smirk.

Marco takes a breath. "Here we go. Hekapoo, I—I'm gonna miss you."

_Duh. Of course you're gonna miss me._

"You're one of my closest friends. You helped me grow up, in a way."

_Are you going sappy on me? Dude, gross._

Marco lets out a half-chuckle, half-sigh. "Sorry. Just…thank you. For everything. I'll never forget you, Hekapoo."

_You better not forget me, or I'm gonna haunt your butt until_ you _die._

He laughs, for real this time, though it's tinged with sadness. "I'll visit when I can, but for now, uh…goodbye."

Marco sits for another minute, then gets up and brushes himself off. He imagines Hekapoo doing the same, giving him one last mock-salute and smirk before turning on her heel and disappearing.

Star comes up behind him and slips her arms around his waist. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Marco lets out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. "I'm good. You?"

"I'm all right." Star nods in the direction of her family. Her parents, Eclipsa, Globgor and Meteora are taking their time, going from resting place to resting place, sharing memories and telling stories. "Once they're done, we should let them know about the barrier thingy."

"Yeah, you're right." Marco turns in her arms and hugs her back, holding Star close. "In the meantime, do you want to go get some lunch?"

"Sure!"

* * *

"Miss Loveberry, please, if I may, where are we going?" Manfred wipes the sweat from his brow, panting. He glances around, the woods seemingly endless. The pair had been hiking for ages since they woke up. "And if it's not too much trouble, could we_ please_ stop for a moment? To-to catch our breaths, and—"

"A break?" Mina suddenly appears in his vision upside-down, and Manfred stumbles back and falls, his balance weak. "You want a break?"

"Uh, yes! Yes, please, Miss Loveberry." Manfred smiles tiredly, believing his wish granted.

"HA! Breaks are for the weak. You can "_catch your breath_"—" Mina mocks his accent, flipping down from the branch she had been perched on. "When we arrive at our new hideout!"

Manfred shuts his eyes tight, willing himself to stand up again. "When should we be arriving, Miss Loveberry?"

"Mm." Mina surveys the surroundings, eyes darting from one identical tree to another. "I dunno."

"Pardon?"

"It's been hundreds of years since I've seen the place! Not to mention the landscape is totally different." Mina throws her arms out, spinning wildly. Manfred can't understand how she has so much energy, especially after her speed-aging and being stomped by a super-powered unicorn.

Mina stops abruptly and whips her head to stare straight through Manfred, the former manservant shrinking back under her unnerving gaze. "So I dunno! We could get there tomorrow, or in a few months, or maybe never!"

Manfred sighs, breathing still a tad labored. "Of course, Miss Loveberry. My apologies."

Mina shrugs, a grin materializing, though it was far from a happy smile. It was biting, it was testy, a _warning_. "It's okay!" She swings about and points in a random direction. "Onwards!" The former Solarian warrior sprints ahead, ignoring the many bushes, branches and thorns that scratch and prick at her legs.

Manfred follows at a slower, more careful pace. _At the very least, she'll have to stop and sleep at some point._


	4. Chapter 4

**We movin', we makin' progress! Thanks to a friend of mine, who helped me through some writer's block during this chapter. Sorry it's so short though.**

**As always, please enjoy and review!**

* * *

Moon's jaw hung open. "But I thought—"

"That we destroyed the magic?" Star finishes. "Yeah, apparently not." Star, Marco, Moon and Eclipsa are outside Moon and River's hut in the Village of Mewmans, which is, surprisingly, still standing. After grabbing lunch, the teens went back to the funeral site. The former queens and Meteroa were still there, River and Globgor having left to check on the Johansen family.

"How?" Eclipsa paces, bouncing a babbling Meteora in her arms. "It doesn't make any sense. Why would a transformative barrier just...appear?"

Marco and Star glance at each other. "We think it may have something to do with us merging Earth and Mewni," Marco admits. "Star and I thought that you two might know more than we do."

Moon shakes her head, sitting on a nearby rock. "Star, Marco, I appreciate you telling us this, but I'm afraid that I don't know anything about this type of magic."

"This is beyond my knowledge as well," Eclipsa says. "I'm sorry we can't be of any more help, but this is new territory for Moon and I as well." Meteora pats her mother's cheeks almost consolingly. "Oh, thank you, darling."

"Okay, so we don't know anything right now," Star supplies. "What if we go check it out ourselves? You know, scout around, test the barrier—"

"Absolutely not!" Moon cuts off her daughter, standing back up again. "It could be dangerous, Star."

"Dangerous?" Star says. "Tom and Ponyhead went through it, and they came out fine!"

"But what if changing others to look more Earth-like isn't all it does? What if you do something that triggers something even worse?"

"Then we'll at least know more than what we do now!"

Marco watches the argument unfold nervously. Voices are growing louder and tempers are slipping. He wonders if he should step in, try to calm down his girlfriend and her mother. But before Marco can even open his mouth, Eclipsa speaks up. "I think Star is right."

Star and Moon abruptly stop their yelling and whip their gazes over to Eclipsa. "_Thank you!_"

"_What?!_"

Eclipsa shrugs. "Well, think about it, Moon. We _don't_ know what this magic does. Wouldn't it be better to try and figure it's purpose now rather than be surprised and unprepared if something _does_ go wrong?"

Moon stares at Eclipsa before sighing in defeat. "I suppose you're right."

"Yes!" Star pumps her fist, smiling. "So, when do we leave?"

"_We_?" Moon shakes her head vehemently, expression hardening again. "No, just Eclipsa and I. You and Marco will stay here and work on building relations between Earthlings, Mewmans and monsters."

"Wh—_Mom_!" Star splutters.

Moon refuses to relent. "I mean it, Star. I'm not letting down my guard while we're inside this..._thing_, and I want you to stay _safe_. And right now, staying safe means staying _put_. Am I clear?"

Star grumbles, crossing her arms with a fierce scowl. "_Fine_."

* * *

"It's not fair!" Star throws herself onto the Diaz's couch. The two went back to Marco's house after speaking with Moon and Eclipsa. Star is living with Marco, Mariposa and their parents, just like old times. She even magicked up her old bedroom, right back where it was before. Marco keeps getting deja vu whenever he passes by her door, memories of banging on it, yelling that they'd be late for school.

Now he passes his girlfriend lying on the couch, heading straight for a cabinet near the back of the living room. Star continues to rant. "I mean, after em style _everything_ that happened, I thought that Mom would trust me more."

"Mhm."

"Seriously! Think about it, Marco." Star begins to count on her fingers. "We helped Eclipsa regain her throne and respect, we fought against a superpowered Mina, we destroyed the magic and won the war—what are you doing?" She peers over the back of the couch curiously, watching Marco dig through the cabinet and place some items into a small knapsack.

"Well, I figured that after your rant, you'd want to go follow your mom and Eclipsa in secret." Marco stands up, tightening the strings on the knapsack and swinging it around to rest on his back. "So I packed some stuff to protect us if, you know, something actually happens. It might turn out to be useless, but you don't have your magic anymore, sou_UEFF!_" Marco grunts as Star jumps over the back of the couch and hugs him, slamming the air from his lungs.

"Thank you!" she exclaims over his shoulder. "You're the best!"

"You're...welcome..." Marco chokes out, though he's smiling. Seeing Star happy and excited never failed to make his heart and head feel light. He would follow this ex-princess to the ends of the multiverse, and he knew she would do the same for him.

Star leans back and pecks him on the cheek before pulling him around the couch and out the door. "C'mon, let's go! If we get there before Mom and Eclipsa we'll have more time to scout around!"

"Hold on!" Marco tugs lightly at the hand encircling his wrist. Star slows and glances back at him questioningly. "I also texted Tom and Ponyhead to meet us on the way. They're the only ones who have actually experienced the barrier, so they can help us know what to look for."

"Ohhhh. Smart!" Star beams at Marco and resumes pulling him onward. "Now c'mon! If we hurry we can make it before nightfall!"


End file.
